Elm City Social welcomed Brown-Forman, United States Bartenders’ Guild Connecticut (USBG CT) chapter members and trade professionals to a Woodford Reserve cocktail competition on March 6. Woodford Reserve distillery representatives will choose six finalists from regional competitions to compete in the National Woodford Reserve Competition in New York City. Elm City Social Bartender Jessica Rapuano was declared the winner out of eight competitors: Ashley Lurie of Wander Bar Events, Aaron Stepka of Cook and the Bear, Juan Meyer of Eastend, Owen Wiseman of Kawa Ni, Eric Karadimas of Max Restaurant Group, Steve Bayusik of Shell and Bones and Stephen Sawin, also of Elm City Social. Rapuano goes on to compete in the national semi-final in Kentucky. The regional Woodford Reserve Cocktail Competition was judged by USBG CT’s Vice President Craig Ventrice, last year’s regional winner and bar manager for The Whelk, Kawa Ni and Jesup Hall; Jeff Cornelius of Allan S. Goodman; and Harrison Ginsberg of Dead Rabbit in New York. The event was also presented by Liquor.com.